Unhappy Golden Years
by DaisyJane
Summary: Terry learns about a certain woman from Bruce's past and they all face a threat in the present. Some BMWW
1. Chapter 1 Sometimes You Can't Go Home

A/N—This story is being co-written by myself and Lordfrieza. I wrote the first chapter.

Disclaimer—All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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**Unhappy Golden Years**

**Chapter 1—Sometimes You Can't Go Home Again **

Terry McGinnis paused on the steps leading down to the Cave when he heard raised voices. One was Bruce and the other was female but it didn't sound like Commissioner Gordon.

"Unbelievable, I can't believe you recruited another one for your pointless and never ending mission," she hissed clearly pissed at Bruce. "Donna called me and told me before you asked how I got the details. Dick filled her in after Barbara told him."

"He found me and he stole the suit. I couldn't let him use it without training and supervision," Bruce stated coldly as he continued to type on the computer.

"You and your lost boys. They always need training and supervision. What they probably need is a normal life but meeting you always changes that," she snapped.

Terry stepped down a few more steps to see her an paused in awe. Standing in front of Bruce was probably the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was tall with long raven hair and gorgeous blue eyes. His breath caught in his throat when he noticed her clothing. Eagle breast plate, star-spangled panties, red boots and tiara. Wonder Woman.

"It is what he wants. I am not making him do anything. Besides he has been Batman for nine months and you decide now to say something?" Bruce questioned.

She pursed her lips. "I have be off world for a year on a mission," she stated flatly.

"Oh really and you didn't bother to say goodbye," he said as he leveled her with a glare.

"It hasn't been very pleasant to be around you the past few years, Bruce, and you know it," she said.

Bruce just glared at her. "Hmmh," he grunted.

"You know you have been very disagreeable in the past few years. When you go out of your way to drive people away eventually it works."

"This is your home."

She gave a short bark of laughter. "This hasn't been a home in years."

"Well you know the reason for that," he said bitterly.

"Yes, you became an ass. You had twenty years of incredible happiness which is more than most people get. You could appreciate all the wonderful things life has given you but you don't. You just make yourself bitter with what you have lost, old man."

Terry felt stunned. This had been Wonder Woman's home. Man, did Bruce have secrets. His mind raced with questions that he knew Bruce would never answer willingly.

"Still, you could tell me when you are going to leave the planet for a year. You owe me at least that," he growled.

"Really, Bruce?!" she replied.

"Stop calling me that," he hissed.

"Why? Would you prefer I can you by the more affectionate name I used to use," she said, sarcasm dripping from her lips.

"I would be more appropriate. Terry, are you going to stand and gawk on those steps all day," Bruce yelled.

Busted. Terry sheepishly walked the rest of the way down the steps. Wonder Woman turned to look at him and he felt heat rise in his cheeks. She gave him a half smile and her eyes sparkled with humor which eased some of his embarrassment. But he could barely contain his fan boy excitement. Wonder Woman in the flesh. Wow.

"Terry this is Wonder Woman and this is my new assistant Terry McGinnis," Bruce introduced.

Terry held out his hand. "It is a pleasure to me you Wonder Woman," he said in a nervous squeaky voice. He tried to clear his throat and speak again but she took his hand in a firm grip and he fell silent.

She laughed and gave him a mega-watt smile, "No need to be so formal Terry. You can call me Athena. I'm Athena Wayne."

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A/N2—Athena in this story is a grown up version of the Athena Wayne from Chaosmob's Athena stories and Lordfrieza's from his The Black Sheep. She has been tweaked to fit the continuity of this story. Just remember that she and Bruce were very close in Chaos' stories.


	2. Chapter 2 Ghosts of the Past

A/N—This chapter was written by Lordfrieza and edited by DaisyJane. You are going to get some hints to what has happened in the past.

Disclaimer—All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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**Chapter 2—Ghosts of the Past**

Terry stood looking at Athena in awe. She was even more beautiful in person and she glowed with strength and power. He suddenly felt weak, young and gauche.

But how was she related to Bruce? He knew that she was immortal so she looked young even though she was old, so could she have been married to Bruce?

She turned once again to Bruce. Her eyes turned cold once more."I'm going to go and see them today. That's part of the reason I came to see you. I wanted to know if you were coming."

"No," Bruce said dismissively.

"Of course not. He was only your son," Athena said sarcastically.

"You know I didn't agree with his choices in life and those choices lead to his death," Bruce responded as he began pulling files.

"Is that all you have to say, don't you care at all?" she asked a hushed tone. Pain and anger clear in her eyes.

"I'm still searching for the ones responsible for his death so of course it matters to me," Bruce said as he began pulling up files.

Terry knew exactly what that meant. It was the old man's way of saying 'we're done talking'. He had been on the receiving end of that several times. Especially when it came to asking questions about the old man's past and especially his past loves. After his run in with Melanie Walker, a.k.a. Ten and part of the Walker crime family, Bruce had opened up about Selina Kyle. He had told how he had fallen in love with the thief but she wouldn't give up her criminal behavior. He finally had to reject her and she left. He new about his affair with Commissioner Gordon and that he had been married to a woman named Diana but only because Barbara Gordon had told him. He never talked about her. Could he have been married to Athena as well and they had a son?

"I'm leaving then. Don't expect me back anytime soon, Daddy," Athena said the last with heavy sarcasm as she began walking toward the exit.

"I didn't expect you now," Bruce said quietly.

Terry wasn't as experienced as Bruce at reading faces, but he could tell that the last comment had hurt her. She wasn't as cold to her father...oh my God...she is Bruce's daughter...but how? Wonder Woman had to be almost as old as Bruce. He turned to his mentor with questioning eyes after she left.

"Yes she is my daughter and no she is not the original Wonder Woman," Bruce said dismissively and turned back to his work.

"So what else haven't you told me?" Terry asked.

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with. You need check out a few things for me as Batman before your start your patrol," Bruce answered as he turned toward the young Batman.

Terry nodded but his mind whirled as he donned the suit. Records dating before the Near Apocalypse of '09 were scarce but he remembered reading somewhere that Wonder Woman was Princess Diana of Themyscira, the island home of the Amazons. Terry's mind finally made all the connections. Bruce's former wife Diana was the original Wonder Woman and they had been married for thirty years and had two children. _Holy Shit that was one big secret the old man had been keeping,_ Terry thought as he walked toward the Batmobile. He climbed inside and headed out toward the coordinates Bruce had programmed into the car.

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**(Gotham City Cemetery)**

Athena Wayne stood before the two simple graves. The headstones where less ornate that her grandparents but suited their owner's perfectly. She looked at the headstones of her brother and his wife. She knew asking Bruce to come here was a mistake and that he would refuse, but she'd felt the need to share her grief.

**(Gotham City—The Brooklands—Sixteen years ago)**

Athena smiled as she held one of her newest nieces. She looked toward their mother, a pale beauty who had become one of her closest friends. Doris held her other daughter.

"I really love the names you have chosen for the girls," Athena stated.

"Deetra and Diana Wayne. My mom suggested Deetra since that was her mom's name, and we just thought it would be appropriate to name her twin after your mom since we named Bruce after your father," Doris stated. "How is he doing with your mom being gone and all?"

"He's not good. Losing her and then a year later losing the ability to be Batman anymore has not helped his demeanor. He pretty much broods all day and I am having a hard time being around him. If Kal didn't insist we visit him on a regular basis I don't know that I would," Athena replied.

"I can't get Thomas to see him at all. With your mom being gone there is no one to mediate between the two and Bruce has never been fond of me because of you know who."

"Doris it is not you fault that your father was the Joker. If Bruce can't see you for the wonderful person you are then it is his loss," Athena stated firmly.

"You're a sweetheart Athena," Doris responded blushing at the praise. She watched Athena snuggle little Diana and smiled. "You'll make a great mom one day. Any news on that horizon."

Athena blushed and shook her head. "Kal and I want kids someday but right now the world needs Wonder Woman. Especially since Aunt Donna is pregnant again."

"Oh my that makes number five for them. How is Dick handling it, he is not getting any younger?" she asked.

Athena smiled as she laid the sleeping baby in one of the two bassinets in the room. "Well Donna loves kids and Dick loves Donna so they seem to be happy."

Doris Wayne laid her daughter in the other bassinet as both women looked at the other two children who had just run into the room. Little Bruce and Cassandra chased each other. Bruce was holding a new CD that belonged to Cassandra and was enjoying a wonderful game of keep away.

"Where is Thomas?" Athena asked.

"He's with his mentor right now. I don't like it when he's gone like his though. To be honest I don't like seeing him come back with so many cuts and bruises," Doris said as she looked at the picture of Thomas and her on the wall.

Athena couldn't repress the shudder she felt when she thought of Lobo. "That's what happens when you go after the dregs of the criminal world. Still I wish that he would have joined the League instead of going after bounties, and why did he have to learn from that gun toting idiot?"

"It's what makes him happy sis. He never got along with Bruce like you did and Lobo filled the void. Speaking of which the last time 'he' was here he brought a picture he wanted me to show you," Doris said as she pulled a picture of Lobo and Thomas Wayne carrying a very knocked out Lashina.

"They finally caught her did they?" Athena asked feeling a sense of pride for her older brother but the thought of Lobo made her skin crawl. The man was lecherous to say the least.

Before Doris could answer her, the door opened and Thomas came inside. Athena turned to see her brother stumble and fall over. They ran to him and watched as he began to convulse on the floor. Athena lifted the black helmet that he always wore when he was away and backed away in terror. His mouth was turning up into a sick horrid looking smile.

"Last ha ha.. bounty.. he he... shot me... ha ha... with some... he ha ho... kind of... ha ha... dart..." he managed before his eyes rolled back into his head.

"THOMAS NO!!!" Doris screamed as she ran to him. She knelt down to see if he was alright and suddenly she felt something hit her neck.

"What the... Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha... OH GOD NO... he ha ha ho..." she screamed as she began to laugh uncontrollably.

Athena hit the communicator in her ear, "Wonder Woman to the Metrotower, J'onn I have a medical emergency. My brother and his wife have been poisoned. Lock on my coordinates and transport here ASAP."

"I'll be there momentarily Wonder Woman," he responded.

Athena checked Thomas' breathing and pulse and finding none started CPR.

Doris was breaking out into such a hard laughing fit that her back began to contort. She screamed loudly and then became silent. Little Bruce had rushed into the room when he heard his mother scream and stood there now looking at his mother and father. His eyes filled with tears as he looked at his aunt.

"Why didn't you save them?" he asked.

**(Gotham City Cemetery—Present Day)**

Athena wiped away the tears that fell from her eyes as she removed the dead roses on their graves and laid some bright and cheerful gerber daisies.

"I will find who took you away, I promise you that," she vowed as she stroked Thomas' name.

* * *

**(Wayne Powers Building)**

Tim Drake strolled down the halls of Wayne Powers. He was supposed to be here for the communications problems, but instead he found himself entering the vault. Once he was inside he walked toward the freezer and opened the door. He stopped as he grabbed hold of the side of the vault door and laughed almost uncontrollably.

"What are you doing here? I've already told you that I will not help in making you immortal," Freeze said to the man that walked toward him.

"Come on icicle breath! After all there are so few of us left over from the old days," the Joker said as he stood before Freeze.

"All the more reason why I shouldn't help you," Freeze replied. "You're already an abomination."

"You know if you think that I can't kill an immortal then you really should ask me about my son-in-law. And if you think that just because we both used to fight Batsy that I won't harm you for sentimental reasons then you should ask me about my daughter. The only reason you are still alive Victor is that I need a way to keep this body going. At least as long as it takes until I find a better one." The Joker smiled hugely as he looked at the head of Victor Freeze.

"And if you think that I wouldn't use the voice control to shut the freezer door and let you freeze to death then you are mistaken," Freeze replied.

"Fine, but I will be back and think about this while I am gone. I have samples of other immortals. And from those samples you could become somewhat normal. Not that you ever were," Joker said as he laughed and then left.

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A/N2—The Kal in this story is Kal Kent, the only child of Clark and Lois Kent.


	3. Chapter 3 A History Lesson

A/N—This chapter was written by DaisyJane. A little more information on the past.

Disclaimer—All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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**Chapter 3—A History Lesson**

Terry was confused when the Batmobile landed at Gotham Cemetery.

"What am I doing here?" he questioned Bruce.

"I need you to get out and scout around, I'll let you know when I see it," Bruce replied.

"It would help if you tell me what we are looking for," Terry said as he exited the car.

"Just do as I say," Bruce growled.

Terry took to the air as ordered an quickly scanned the cemetery. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary. It was dusk so the place was pretty much deserted. He saw a tall dark-haired woman standing by some graves. He started at her a moment, for some reason she seemed familiar. When he looked at the names on the graves he suddenly knew why. And he knew why the old man had sent him here. God, sometimes he really was a bastard. He could have just come with her but no he had to be sneaky. Terry flew forward and landed next to her.

"McGinnis what do you think you are doing, I never said for you to go near that woman. I want you to leave now," Bruce barked in his ear.

Terry just reached up and turned off the communicator and camera in the suit. He wasn't going to aid Bruce in being an asshole.

Cold blue eyes turned toward him. Yes this was definitely Athena Wayne. Her eyes might be shaped differently but they were the exact same gray-blue as Bruce's and he had been on the receiving of that glare from Bruce many a time.

"Batman what are you doing here?" she asked. She really looked different than she had in the cave. She was still attractive but not ridiculously beautiful. She looked older like a woman in her mid to late thirties. Gone was the long curly raven hair and instead she had a chestnut brown page boy. She wore a black suit and rectangular black framed glasses. She looked kind of ordinary and Terry was amazed.

"The old man sent me and I'm sorry. I will leave you alone," he said and turned to leave only to be stopped by a hand on his arm.

"It's okay, I am kind of glad to have some company otherwise I might start brooding." She gave him a wan smile at turned back to the graves.

"So Thomas was your brother and he as his wife were murdered?" Terry asked.

"Yes, sixteen years ago. They were shot with a poison that made them laugh while paralyzing their nervous system. They couldn't breathe and they died before we could get them the antitoxin. It was the strongest and fastest working poison I have ever seen. I have been trying to find their killer ever since but all I find are dead ends," she explained and Terry watched as she surreptitiously wiped away a tear.

"It sounds like Batman's old enemy the Joker," Terry said. Barbara Gordon had told him about the Joker who inspired the Jokerz. She was trying to scare him into quiting but it didn't work.

Athena gave him a steely look and said harshly, "It wasn't the Joker."

She really reminded him of Bruce in that moment. In the cave he had seen nothing of Bruce in her but now she seemed the spiting image of her sire. He was really having a hard time believing that the woman standing in front of him was Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman glowed with hope and vitality while this woman seemed so sad and angry.

"I can't believe you are Wonder Woman," he said softly without thinking as he stared at her.

"Right now I'm Athena Wayne, a thirty-eight-year-old ordinary mortal and not Athena the immortal Amazon warrior princess. My armor is magical and allows me to change into whatever disguise I want," she explained.

"Wow. So you can change into Wonder Woman instantly if you want?" Terry asked then blushed though she couldn't see it. "I'm sorry I'm asking a lot of questions."

Athena gave him a half smile and said, "It's okay but if you want to talk I think we should go somewhere away from possible prying ears and eyes. Excuse me a moment."

She when behind a large mausoleum and a few seconds later Wonder Woman emerged and gave him a large smile. "Follow me." She took off into the air.

Terry followed and in a few minutes they arrived at a building with a clock tower. She flew to a ledge by the large clock face and opened a door and disappeared inside. Terry followed and walked into a large and spacious flat. It was an open layout and furnished with comfortable but very nice furniture.

"Is this your apartment?" Terry asked as her removed his mask.

"Yes though I don't spend much time here. I live mostly at the Metrotower in Metropolis or on Themyscira," she said as she opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water. "Want some," she offered.

"Sure," he said as he took the offered bottle. "So Batman and Wonder Woman are your parents? Who would've thought."

Athena laughed. "Yeah nobody outside the League ever knew. The rest of the world never knew that Wonder Woman had a relationship with Batman and that they had two children."

"How did it happen? I mean how did they get together?" Terry asked overcome with curiosity.

Athena smirked at him. "I guess Bruce is less than forthcoming about his past."

"That's an understatement. Trying to get him to admit anything is like trying to squeeze blood from a stone. Most of what I know the Commissioner has told me."

"I'm sure Barbara was trying to make you see sense regarding pursuing a career as Batman. She was always a sensible woman, well except when it came to my father," Athena said.

"Wait so did your parents get together after he and Commissioner Gordon broke up?" he asked.

"No, before and then after," Athena said cryptically and added, "It's a long story."

Terry stared at her in a bit of shock then asked, "Would you mind telling it to me? I can understand if the answer is no. It would probably piss of Bruce already with what you have told me."

"Now you're just giving me incentive to talk. Okay pull up a seat and I'll tell you," she said with an almost wistful voice.

Terry sat in a comfortable armchair and opened his water and took a sip as Athena began. "They met when the League was formed to stop the Imperium from taking over the Earth. It wasn't love at first sight, though my father once told me that when he first saw her protecting Hawkgirl she took his breath away.

Terry snorted. "I can imagine."

Athena smiled softly. "Well they formed the League and worked together on many missions. They grew to respect each other and became friends. Then my mother figured out his secret identity and the flirting began. They danced around each other for years and my father tried his best to not fall in love with her but he fell anyway and so did she. They started a relationship and they were very happy until something devastating happened to my father and he withdrew from the League and broke it off with my mother."

"What happened?" he asked.

"That is a whole other story and not mine to tell, not that this one is either, but let's just say it was horrible. Bruce doesn't handle loss well and he took it out on my mother. He blamed her and the League for distracting him from him mission to protect Gotham. He told her that he didn't love her anymore," Athena said and her voice caught at the painful words. "It wasn't true but she left. A week later she discovered she was pregnant with my brother."

"Shit," Terry said.

"Yeah well she decided to go back to Themyscira and not tell anyone about the pregnancy. My father devoted himself to Gotham and Barbara devoted herself to helping him. Their relationship soon became more than friends and partners. Barbara was so in love with him but after several months she realized that Bruce didn't feel the same way."

"What happened?" he asked.

"She woke up very early one morning alone in bed. She went down to the Cave to check on Bruce and found him looking at pictures of my mother."

"Ouch. That explains some of her anger toward him."

"I guess though by the time she married Sam she seemed to be over it, but I'm jumping ahead. So she left him and he continued his mission alone. Meanwhile my mother gave birth on Themyscira. Unfortunately she had a boy. The Amazons were not happy having a male on the island even if he was only a baby, so after a few months she returned to Man's World with Thomas and her sister Donna. My Grandmother gave her some of the great wealth of gold kept on the island and my mother invested it wisely in Man's World. She set up a secret identity as Diana Prince and lived in New York with Donna and Thomas. She and Donna took turns being Wonder Woman so that Diana could spend time with Thomas. Donna was great with children and I think that is why my grandmother let her leave with my mother. The League founders, with the exception of my father, soon learned from my mother about Thomas and her reasons for leaving. They welcomed her back and welcomed Donna into the League."

"I'm not sure what my father knew about her return or her circumstances but he never came to see her though he had to have known she was back as she and Donna were all over the news. So the three of them were living in New York for just over a year when fate stepped in and started my parents on the road back to each other."

"What happened?" Terry asked kind of stunned by Athena's story. It was hard to imagine Bruce in love.

"Well in all started with a charity ball..."


	4. Chapter 4 A Princess At The Ball

A/N—This chapter was written by DaisyJane and we will be going back in time just a bit. Thanks to Hepburn for the wonderful beta. Please read and review. It is always nice to hear what you liked and even what you didn't like.

Disclaimer—All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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**Chapter 4—A Princess at the Ball**

**(New York City--Over forty years ago)**

Diana smoothed the side of her sapphire blue silk dress as she exited the car that had been sent for her. She thought it an extravagant waste of money when she as Wonder Woman could just fly to the event, but Ms. Smith had insisted to Diana Prince that Wonder Woman receive nothing but the best treatment. Ms. Smith was the event coordinator for Chandler Industries, which was the corporate sponsor for the benefit to help the battered women and children's shelters in New York.

Diana Prince, Wonder Woman's secret identity, was a philanthropist and worked to raise funds for several charities, most of which were to aid women. She had been working for the past few months with Ms. Smith planning this event. Ms. Smith had planned a charity auction and one of the prizes for the highest bidder was a dance and a date with Wonder Woman. Diana had cringed inwardly at the thought. What kind of example to women did she set when she bartered her beauty and fame for money? But she knew she could raise a lot of money for a good cause so she went along with it but wasn't sure she would do it again in the future. Diana Prince would do the charity work and Wonder Woman would focus on saving the world and being and ambassador of peace.

Tonight Diana Prince was supposedly home with the flu. Ms. Smith had been politely sympathetic but hadn't really cared just as long as Wonder Woman showed. So here she was blinking at the flashing lights and smiling at the screaming reporters. Ms. Smith came up to her and escorted her into the event.

"We are so happy that you could help us out tonight, your Highness. We have reserved a spot for you at our VIP table. Would you care for something to drink, we are serving a lovely champagne tonight?" Ms. Smith simpered as she walked her to the table.

"That would be fine," she said politely though she doubted she would drink any of it. Ms. Smith smoothly grabbed a glass off a tray from a nearby waiter and handed it to her.

"Well, here is your table, please feel free to mingle and dinner will be served in half-an-hour and the auction will begin soon after dinner. I will find you before it begins. Enjoy your evening and thank you for your help in raising money for our cause," Ms. Smith said then looked down at her clip board. "If you will excuse me." And she was gone.

Diana scanned the table as she sat down. She recognized Roger Chandler and his wife from meeting them as Diana Prince. They seemed to be having a deep conversation so she didn't interrupt. The chairs on their right were empty and the three chairs next to them were occupied by two gentlemen who were talking, one blond and one with dark hair whose face was turned away from her, and a beautiful blond woman with a bored expression on her face. She was seated next to Diana and she looked over as Diana sat down.

"Oh my God, you're Wonder Woman! I had no idea you would be sitting at our table. I just want to say that I admire you so much," she exclaimed and the others at the table turned to stare at Diana.

Diana smiled at everyone at the table but her smile froze as she met the piercing blue gaze of Bruce Wayne. Diana's heart started to race and she felt as though she couldn't breathe as she he gave her his stupid playboy grin and said, "Wonder Woman, you are even more beautiful than the last time I saw you."

_What is he doing here, shouldn't he be in Gotham, _she thought as her mind raced. It had been two years since she had seen him and she had thought that she had gotten over him and the pain he caused her when he threw her out of his life. But here she was with her stomach in knots wanting desperately for the floor to swallow her up or for Circe to turn all the men into livestock so she would have an excuse not to talk to him.

Instead she said in a soft voice, "It is a pleasure to see you again Mr. Wayne." She looked him in the eyes and he had the nerve to wink at her. To hide her sudden anger she took a sip of her champagne.

"I'm Roger Chandler and this is my lovely wife Karen. My company is sponsoring this event. My wife has been working to improve the shelters in our city for several years now and we really do appreciate you participating in the auction. Your presence will help us to set a record grand total most certainly!"

"It is a pleasure to meet you both and I don't mind doing what I can to help a worthy cause," Diana responded.

"So you are auctioning off a date with you and whoever is lucky enough to be the highest bidder. I bet that will rake in the bucks," said the other man at the table. He was blond and in his late forties and he gave Diana a smarmy smile. "Hi, I'm Zac Jacoby by the way. I own Jacoby Productions. And this is my date Meredith Howard. She is the star in my latest movie." He leaned toward Bruce and continued in a whisper that was still loud enough for everyone to hear, "And she is smokin' hot in the sex scenes let me tell you Bruce, I am sure that they would even give the princess here a run for her money!"

Diana was grateful she did not have Kal's laser vision in that moment or Zac Jacoby would have been a smoking corpse. Meredith's face was completely red and the Chandler's were looking at Zac with disgust. Diana took a large swallow of her champagne finishing her drink and signaled the waiter for another glass. Honestly she didn't know how she was going to get through this dinner. Then she caught the brief look of rage in Bruce's eyes.

"I'll toast to that," he said as he raised his glass of whiskey and 'accidentally' spilled in down the front of Zac Jacoby's tuxedo. "Oops sorry old chum, I guess I've had more to drink than I thought."

"You idiot, this is a five thousand dollar tux," Zac hissed as he stood up and started mopping his jacket with a napkin before stalking toward the restrooms.

Bruce called out to him. "Just send me the bill old friend." Diana covered her laugh with another sip of champagne but Meredith didn't bother.

"Thank you Bruce. Zac can be an ass sometimes," she said while openly flirting.

It shouldn't have bothered Diana, after all they had been broken up for two years and Bruce had probably dated and slept with numerous women but it did. She hated that she felt this way and wished she could leave. Mercy came in the form of Karen Chandler.

"Wonder Woman, I would like to ask you for a favor if possible," she said.

"Please call me Diana and how can I help you?"

"Well, I work at the shelters helping women get their GED's and into community college programs or in getting jobs. But so many of them suffer from low self-esteem and could use some encouragement. If you could come by and maybe speak to these women and tell them you believe they have the power to improve their lives, I think it would be a great help," she said.

Diana smiled. "I can think of nothing I would love to do more! Why don't you give me your number and I will call you next week to arrange some times?"

"Oh thank you so much," she exclaimed and reached into her clutch purse and took out a business card. "Just tell my assistant who you are and she will put you right through to me."

After this exchange, she continued to talk to Karen about her work and then about her children and Diana smiled as she looked at the pictures. She would have loved to show her pictures of Thomas but the world (and hopefully Bruce) didn't know Wonder Woman had a son. For Thomas' protection it had to stay that way.

She had moved to the seat next to Karen and Meredith moved to the seat next to Bruce and Zac sat next to her and talked to the gentleman and lady who arrived to take the last two seats at the table. Dinner soon began and Diana felt Bruce's eyes on her a number of times and she would look up to meet his eyes occasionally but they didn't say a word to each other. In truth, Diana had nothing to say to him but her heart still raced every time she met his gaze. She enjoyed Karen's company but she was grateful when Ms. Smith came to claim her for the auction.

* * *

Bruce let his eyes follow her as she left the table and he appreciated the graceful lines of her body as she walked away. She still took his breath away and he cursed the weakness in himself that had felt compelled to attend this event. Alfred had not been subtle about giving him the invite to the charity ball as he had laid it on top of his morning newspaper. Usually Alfred set the pile of invitations on his desk for Bruce to go through and mark yes or no.

He'd seen her on the news and had known she'd been back from Themyscira for at least a year. Just like he also knew that her sister must have come with her as not every time that Wonder Woman appeared was it Diana. He just didn't understand why Donna was sharing the Wonder Woman title instead of creating her own but he'd refused to let himself investigate. She no longer had a place in his life as he ruthlessly cut her out of it over two years ago. It didn't matter that he still dreamed of her or that most of the time he couldn't get through a day with looking at her picture.

He had moved on he'd told himself. He'd had other lovers including Barbara Gordon. He'd thought that Barbara had suited him perfectly at the time. She was an excellent partner and she had devoted herself to the mission. He'd known for years that she was attracted to him but he'd never acted on it. At first it was because she was too young and then it was because the only woman he wanted was Diana. But after pushing Diana away and losing Tim, Barbara had filled a void in his life. So he acted on his attraction to her and been satisfied with her as a lover.

Unfortunately she hadn't completely wiped Diana from his heart. He'd been able to stop thinking about her during the day but she still haunted his dreams. He'd awakened early one morning because of one of those dreams and had decided to work in the cave, but something had compelled him to pull up old footage from the Watchtower. It was of Diana in the training room ruthlessly destroying battle drones. He soon became lost in watching her gracefully fight, so much so that he hadn't heard Barbara enter the cave.

"Bruce what are you doing up..." she began but stopped as she noticed what was on the monitor.

Bruce whipped around in surprise to see Barbara's pale face. He quickly turned off the monitor but it was to late. "Barbara, I'm sorry I.."

"Do you still love her?" Barbara interrupted him.

"What? I..ah...I care about you," he'd said lamely.

"You didn't answer my question Bruce. Do you still love her?" she asked again as tears rolled down her cheeks.

She'd known the answer before he whispered, "Yes."

She'd said nothing more. She just left and never came back again. Now he patrolled alone. Sometimes he would get Dick as backup if he was desperate but their partnering often ended badly. Recently Nightwing had joined the Justice League and so he wasn't available very often. But Bruce didn't need him. He'd started his mission alone and he would finish it alone.

_So why am I here,_ he wondered to himself. Why did he ache to take her into his arms and breathe in her lovely scent. He had wanted to slam Zac Jacoby's head into the table when he had talked about her that way. He was a fool and there was no way that Diana wanted him anymore, he'd made sure of that two years ago. He should return to Gotham as he would need to go on patrol soon, but he stayed in his seat as the auction began.

Various items and services were auctioned off before it was Diana's turn. She was obviously uncomfortable with being a prize but she still went along with it since it was for a good cause. He was tempted to bid but knew that would be the height of stupidity. They were over and buying a date with her would be certifiable.

"I would like to open the bidding at one thousand dollars. Imagine dancing with the most beautiful woman in the world," the lady auctioneer said.

Bruce remembered their first dance in Paris and then dancing will her alone in the manor years later. The moonlight glistening in her hair as he stroked it away from her face and brought her lips to his. He shook his head and again thought about what a fool he was.

"We have five thousand one hundred will anyone make it five thousand two hundred. The proceeds go to a good cause."

"I bid fifty thousand," Zac Jacoby yelled as he stood up from his seat. He shot Diana a lecherous smile and Bruce's mind exploded with rage. No. Way. In. Hell.

"Wow what a generous bid. Do we have any other offers. Fifty-one thousand?" the auctioneer asked.

Bruce didn't even hesitate before saying, "One hundred thousand."

Zac Jacoby shot him a glare but Bruce just grinned at him.

"Oh my, another generous bid. This will do a lot to help the women and children living in the centers. So are there anymore bids?" she asked again.

"Two hundred grand," Zac yelled. He was drunk and wanted to get his prize. He was sure the Amazon babe would be impressed with how much cash he was willing to part with to get her. He enjoyed being rich and he enjoyed showing it.

"Three hundred thousand," Bruce said without any hesitation. That creep was not going anywhere near his princess.

"Four hundred thousand," Zac shot back feeling pissed at being shown up by that trust fund jerk Wayne.

"Wow look at the generosity that the princess inspires in these to men, so what do you say Mr. Wayne," she smiled at the multi-billionaire.

Bruce knew he would win this battle as Jacoby had nowhere near the resources that he did and he had planned to make a generous contribution to the charity. Now it would mean something more and he didn't want to continue to haggle over Diana like she was a prime piece of meat. He'd seen the look of disgust on her face every time Zac bid.

"One million dollars," Bruce said smoothly and Diana stared at him in shock. Zac knew he was defeated as no date was worth a million bucks especially when he was trying to get funding for his next project. Even so he was angry and he stormed out of the benefit, completely leaving his date behind.

"Well if we have no one else who would like to bid then the dance and date with Wonder Woman go to Mr. Bruce Wayne. Going once, going twice, going three times. It appears that you have won Mr. Wayne, and we thank-you," the auctioneer said with a big smile as the audience erupted in applause.

The orchestra started to play a slow waltz as he walked to the stage to claim his dance. He was a fool, a complete idiot, for doing this but at the moment he didn't care. He just wanted to hold her in his arms again. He held out his hand to her and she took it giving him an enigmatic look. He couldn't tell what she was thinking as he pulled her close. She fit into her arms like the missing piece to a puzzle. He almost sighed at the pleasure of her body moving against his.

_Just one dance,_ he said to himself as he twirled her around the dance floor. He inhaled deeply her uniquely feminine scent. He felt her breath on his neck as he briefly pulled her closer.

Finally he heard her whisper in his ear, "Bruce what in Zeus' name are you doing?"

"Dancing, that should be obvious," he said teasing her by being deliberately obtuse.

"Bruce you know what I mean," she said as she shot him a glare.

He just smiled back enjoying how beautiful she was when she was angry.

"Bruce, answer me," she hissed in his ear as she moved in close again.

"I just wanted to dance with you and there was no way I was going to let a pig like Jacoby touch you," he said as he looked her in the eyes.

Something seemed to spark in her eyes as she gave him a small smile. "Thank you for that."

Bruce could feel the music drawing to a close and knew that soon he would have to let her go. He'd planned to let her out of the date but he now knew that he couldn't. He needed to see her again. One dance was just not enough.

As the music ended he said, "I'll pick you up into from of the Embassy at eight tomorrow evening. Wear something formal as we are going to the Met. I know how much you enjoy opera."

For a moment she looked like she was going to refuse but instead she smiled politely at him and said, "Of course Mr. Wayne and thank you for your generous contribution." Then she walked away. Bruce almost shuddered at the coldness in her eyes.

* * *

**(Athena's Flat--Present Day)**

Athena stopped speaking and Terry couldn't contain himself to hear what came next. He couldn't believe she was talking about Bruce.

"So what happened on the date," he asked.

"I'm afraid that will have to wait until another time," Athena smiled. "Batman needs to go on patrol."

"Crap, you're right. Bruce is going to kill me for being out of touch for so long. I'm surprised he hasn't shut down my suit," Terry said.

"Terry, thank you for helping Bruce. This is the most alive I have seen him in years," Athena said.

"But I thought that you didn't like me working for your dad?" Terry questioned based on the earlier argument between Bruce and Athena.

"For your sake I'm worried but you are good for the old man." Athena suddenly looked sad and faraway. "He is less bitter than he was last year."

Terry really didn't know what to say and was grateful when Athena spoke again. "If you want to hear more you can stop by after school tomorrow. I will be here for the next few days. I have some business to attend to."

Terry's face lit with excitement and for a moment she was reminded of her brother Thomas when he was a teenager. Terry put on his mask and left while Athena's suddenly suspicious mind raced. She picked up Terry's water bottle and walked to the closet. She pressed a hidden button inside and a secret door opened into a high tech crime lab. A large computer hive stood in the corner and she carefully swabbed the mouth of Terry's bottle and put it into the computer for analysis.


	5. Chapter 5 Family Ties

A/N—This chapter was written by Lordfrieza and edited by DaisyJane. Please note that I have made a correction in the time line after doing some research on Batman Beyond. This story takes place about forty-two or forty-three years after Destroyer and not fifty and I have changed the story to reflect this. Please read and review. It is always nice to hear what you liked and even what you didn't like.

Disclaimer—All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

**Chapter 5—Family Ties**

"Where have you been," Bruce hissed as Terry reengaged the camera and comm. link in his mask upon entering the Batmobile.

"Talking to Wonder Woman. You could have just gone with her to the cemetery instead of having me spy on her," Terry replied not giving in to Bruce's anger.

"Humph! Never mind that, right now I need you to check out some activity going on in a building in Old Gotham. I've loaded the coordinates into the Batmobile," Bruce stated.

Terry suppressed a groan. He hated going to Old Gotham as the place was totally creepy.

The sound of the engine in the Batmobile seemed almost hypnotic as Terry zipped through the rotting remains of Old Gotham. This section of town was mainly populated by squatters, those who couldn't afford even the cheapest rent in Neo-Gotham. Of course there was also all sorts of illegal activity here such as drug labs, cage fights and brothels. He saw a bright flash in what looked to be a very old building and sure enough the Batmobile stopped not too far away. He lowered the Batmobile to the street and slowly climbed out of the drivers seat. He activated the cars defense mode and turned to study the building. It looked like an ancient reminder from a time long past. He walked toward the doors and saw the faded sign.

"I'm at the Jolly Jack Candy Company and there is definitely something going on. The name sounds familiar," Terry said as he quietly pressed the door open.

"You've probably read it in the old case files," Bruce said in his usual stoic tone. "I'm reading the heat signatures of at least six people so be careful."

Terry rolled his eyes under the mask. Even after almost a year the old man still kept saying to be careful as if Terry would forget. Once inside he could hear the voices of two girls and a guy.

"What the slag are we doing in here? Look, that skuzzo has us looking through these old warehouses and for what? Crappy old weapons that are likely to go off at any second!" a male voice whined as something crashed into a wall.

"Sounds like Bonk has a problem looking for the toys Dee Dee," one of the girls said in a sing-song voice.

"Sure does Dee Dee. Maybe we should tell the boss," the other Dee Dee replied in the same tone.

"Go ahead. Even if he is who he claims he is, the guy is ancient! He can't hurt me! I'll rearrange his slaggin' face!" Bonk said as another object struck the wall.

"Yeah, and then you'll get a grenade down your pants, or maybe a face full of that old laughing venom he has. Didn't you watch the history tapes on this guy? He's the only one to ever come close to beating the Bat," a slightly more intelligent male voice said as something shifted.

Terry was immediately intrigued by the mention of the laughing venom. Athena had said something about her brother being killed by a poison that caused his wife and him to go into such hard laughing fits that both of them died. He activated the invisibility/cloaking device on the suit and made it up stairs. He peered into a window and looked at the remains of the apartment they where tearing apart. Finally the biggest one lifted a box and dumped the contents onto a table. They began picking out the 'toys' their boss had sent them for and placing them into large canvas bags. Before Terry or Bruce could come up with a plan of what to do next, the skylight window shattered and several smoke pellets went off in the room. Terry switched the mask's lenses to show heat signatures and saw someone built like a linebacker knocking the 'Jokerz' in the room around like rag dolls. Well all of them except for the two girls.

Without a second thought he made his way inside and the unknown 'attacker' turned on him. Even with the suit's enhancements he was easily thrown to the side. The attacker turned his attention back to the two girls still standing and threw some kind of gas pellet at them. They coughed and soon both of them were lying on the ground unconscious. Terry started to get up but the guy pushed him back with his booted foot.

"I got this one Batman, no need to get up," the man said and Terry could hear the smirk in his voice.

As the smoke cleared Terry could see the figure clearly. He was dressed in a long black leather coat that had large dark gray wings painted on the back. There was a green snake painted to look like it was twisting up the right arm of his coat. His clothing was all black underneath the coat and he had black cowl over his face and hair with eye lenses that glowed red. He wore the hood of his coat up to further obscure his face. He spoke in a harsh voice that sounded strangely familiar.

"Who are you and what are you doing here," Terry said as he was finally able to rise.

"I'm Fury, as if it is any of your business you little poser. I noticed someone in the building. Old Gotham's a haven for drug trafficking, illegal fights, and pretty much everything else. I came to check it out," he growled in his harsh voice. "I'm going to leave and I'm taking the Dee Dee's with me and you can play hero and turn the others over to the cops. Don't come into 'Old Gotham' again, I can take care of this part of the city. Stick to Neo-Gotham where it's safer for the likes of you."

Bruce screamed, "Duck!" But it was too late and Fury hit Terry behind the ear causing him to stiffen up. He collapsed and then couldn't move from the neck down.

"What did you do?" Terry asked as he struggled to move but even the enhanced suit didn't help.

"Wouldn't you like to know, cupcake," the figure said before he moved and lifted both Dee Dee's on his shoulders.

Without a warning the figure shot a grappling line toward the skylight and was gone.

* * *

**(Gotham Greens Apartments)**

Fury stepped out from the sleek black muscle car. From its outward appearance, the car seemed as if it was a relic from the by gone days. Once the gull wing door opened one could see that the inside of the car was a mix of the latest computer equipment and navigation technology. Fury picked up both Dee Dees and carried them to the front door of an apartment he had visited often when he was a child and again more recently. He knocked on the door and waited for the occupant to answer. He looked into the face of an older woman as she narrowed her eyes at the two knocked out girls.

"Where were they?" She asked with a long drawn out sigh.

"Old Gotham hanging around with the Jokerz." He removed his hood and cowl to reveal a face that looked like a young but pale Bruce Wayne but with Doris Quinzel Wayne's eyes. "You might want to consider that strict all girls Catholic boarding school up state Grams," he said as he placed them on the couch.

"I know they're hellions and its probably my fault for spoiling them so. But they reminded me so much of their mama that I found them hard to resist," Harley said.

"Don't beat yourself up Grams. You did your best and I know you love them. They are old enough now to be responsible for their own actions," young Bruce said.

"Maybe I shouda let your aunt raise em, she did a great job with you and Cassandra," Harley stated.

"Athena had Kal to help her for five years and Cassandra went to Themyscira when she was ten. Trust me Athena and I weren't getting along so great when I left at seventeen," he said as a sad look crossed his face.

"But you turned out to be a fine man Brucie, though you look pale. I know that part of that comes from your mother, but honestly you might want to go out in the daylight some times," Harleen Quinzel said as she touched her grandson's cheek. "I hope you are taking care of yourself."

"You know I don't really have to worry about that thanks to Apollo's gift of healing," he said with a smirk.

"I'm just glad that those two ain't as strong as you and your sister. I'd have a lot of explaining to do and honestly I doubt I could control 'em."

"Well the Gods work in mysterious ways Grams. Maybe you could send them to Themyscira." Young Bruce gave her a teasing smile.

Harley laughed. "I'm sure the Queen would love to whip those two into shape but I still feel it is best that they don't know all the truth about who their grandparents were. They like hanging with the Jokerz now as it is. Imagine if they new the Joker was their Grandpa." She shook her head. She'd had years to get over her obsession with the Joker. She hoped her granddaughters would be wise like their mama and choose good men.

He shook his head and shuddered. He had started patrolling Old Gotham when he returned and found his sisters hanging with those crazy Jokerz. He had to look out for them even if they were determined to ruin their lives. His face became an emotionless mask as he pulled on his cowl. It was time to leave.

"Grams I have to go before those two wake up. Besides Brucie doesn't really exist anymore. I'm just Fury and I have work to do…" he said as he turned to leave.

"Don't do this to yourself. Believe me you don't want to lose yourself to something that becomes an obsession. Brucie, I love ya too much to want that to happen," she said but he just walked toward his car without responding.

Her eyes teared up for a moment before she looked at her granddaughters. Without a second thought she walked over to the couch and rolled them over. Her cane came up and she whacked them both across the butt.

"Oww!" both girls shouted as they woke up.

"Nana Harley? How did we get here?" they ask at the same time.

"You scamps are one step away from being sent to an all girls Catholic school! I worked six jobs to scrape a living together for you, and now in my twilight years what do you do? You run around with a group of low lives! Your dear mother would be pissed at me for letting you get out of hand like this!" she shouted at them.

"Oh shut up Nana Harley," Diana said before she found the cane whacking her again.

"Oww! Quit it!" she said as she looked at her grandmother.

"We're leaving!" both girls said at the same time.

"No you're not. You're both staying or else I am going to call the cops and have you both sent to juvie," she says as her eyes narrow at them.

Both girls cower at her look and threat and stare at the floor and nod.

**(Happy Jack Candy Company)**

The Jokerz that looked like a scarecrow, Ghoul, threw a canvas bag toward the new self-appointed boss. The man looked inside of the bag and then threw it against the wall.

"I sent you all after a specific gun. It looks like a trick Colt 45, I said, you can't miss it, I said. That gun is one of a kind and has a special design inside of it. Now I'm going to say this once…where is it?" The voice of the Joker asked from the shadows.

"We saw it boss, but some guy dressed up like a scary black thing from Hell or something jumped down through the window. To make matters worse Batman showed up not long afterwards. We barely made it out with this," Ghoul explained.

"Ghoul, I'm disappointed to say the least. Why with you dressing like old Scarecrow I would expect a little of his brains to rub off on you, but I guess that isn't the case is it. Things sure have changed since my day. There was a better class of criminal then," the Joker said as he walked toward them.

"Your day, your day, that's all I've heard since you worked your way into this gang. Your day this, and your day that. I'm sick of it. We go and rip off geek stuff for you, and then go into old Gotham to raid stinky, slaggy abandoned warehouses for you. And what the slag do we get? Not a damned slaggin' thing! When's the last time we got paid? When the last time we got any kind of credits at all?!" Bonk shouted.

Joker smiled and pulled out a popgun. He pointed it at Bonk and grinned. Bonk's eyes widened with terror.

"Now wait a minute man… I'm just joking…" Bonk said hoping that he would be spared from the boss' wrath.

Joker pulled the trigger and a bang flag popped out. Bonk sighed a breath of relief.

"So was I," Joker said before the bang flag shot out and embedded itself into Bonk's chest. "Guess I wasn't." The Joker laughed maniacally at the dead body.

"Now… I want to know if everyone's still with me. Ghoul are you still with me?" Joker asked.

"I'm with you," Ghoul said looking at the dead body of Bonk.

"Bozo are you with me?" Joker asked.

"I'm with you boss," he answered.

"Bonk…Bonk, oh right he's dead," Joker said with a laugh before seating himself and turning toward Ghoul.

"Now I want you to find that trick gun. Like I said it's special, and I also want you to finish getting me the pieces for the console I am working on. Get it by tomorrow or you will be joining Bonk," Joker said as he leaned back into his chair.

**(The Batcave)**

Bruce was seriously pissed off as he watched the Batmobile drive into the cave and Terry exit it.

"How could you let them get away?" Bruce asked harshly.

"That big freak calling himself Fury is how. I could barely move when the Jokerz woke up and ran away," Terry hissed back as he removed his mask.

"I warned you to duck, you're going to have to extra careful around him. I am going to have to increase and modify your training so you can evade attacks like that," Bruce grumbled. He knew whom Terry was facing and while he doubted young Bruce would kill him, he would have no problem hurting Terry if Batman got in his way.

Terry sighed, "Fine."

Bruce looked at the boy and noticed his fatigue but quelled any compassion. The boy had to learn to deal with it.

"Come here so I can download all the information from the suit."

Terry studied the playback with Bruce as Bruce explained where he could improve his tactics. He occasionally stopped the play back to study something and froze for a moment as he saw a picture of Thomas and Doris on the wall. _Why would that be there,_ he wondered. Harley never returned there after the Joker was killed. Bruce noticed Terry's curiosity and suddenly cut the feedback form the suit and turned off the monitor while slamming his hand down on the computer to pull Terry's attention away from it.

"You're going to have to go back and find what they were looking for," Bruce commanded as he looked at Terry.

"Alright I'll do it after school," Terry answered.

"No, you need to do it now before they return. I'll call you mother and the school and tell them I need your help today because my heart condition is acting up. Get to work," Bruce commanded as he turned back toward the computer.

Terry grumbled as he walked toward the Batmobile shaking his head.

Bruce called out to him. "And you need to break contact with Athena right now. Spending time with her will cause you to deviate from the mission. Like it did tonight."

"Maybe if you spent some time with her you would be such a bitter old man," Terry growled as he got in the car and drove away.

Bruce closed his eyes for a moment and remembered his precious little girl who fed him sticky cookies that he didn't really care for with a sweet smile on her face. Then he shook himself. That time was gone like everything that was wonderful in his life.


	6. Chapter 6 The Family Business

A/N—I am finally getting back to this and all my stories. Life has been very busy this past year. The rest of this story will be written solely by DaisyJane. Please read and review. It is always nice to hear what you liked and even what you didn't like.

Disclaimer—All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

**Chapter 6—The Family Business**

Terry heard laughter as he walked into his apartment. He could hear his Mom talking to someone as be headed for the kitchen. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw Athena Wayne sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee with his Mom and Dana.

She looked up and smiled at him and Terry suddenly felt nervous. "Hello Terry, I was just visiting with your mother and Dana and they told me that my father needed your help today."

"Oh how's he feeling and I wonder why he didn't call me? "

"In the future I will make sure he does. We can't have you failing out of school now can we?"

"Speaking of which, I picked up all of your assignments and I wanted to remind you that we have a major project due Monday in history," Dana said.

Terry stomach took a twist as he realized he hadn't even begun the assignment and it was worth a quarter of his grade. His mom was going to kill him if he failed history but he didn't know how he could work on it this weekend and be Batman. He looked up and met the penetrating stare of Athena Wayne. Man, did she seem like Bruce when she wasn't in her armor.

"Well I have to run. My father has a big family dinner planned for tonight. Sorry Terry but the main reason I came by was to cancel our plans. You know how my dad is," Dana stated.

Terry knew that Dana's dad didn't like him very much but didn't say anything because it would only make Dana feel bad.

"Well your sudden lack of plans is fortuitous for me," Athena stated with a smooth smile. "I am hosting the annual Fall Masquerade ball this year at Wayne Manor and you can assist me. Don't worry I'll make sure you'll get paid for the overtime."

Terry's mother smiled and said, "Isn't that great honey? I'm sure you can use the extra money."

Which translated to they could use the extra money. Since his dad's death his mother had been struggling to make ends meet. The money Bruce paid him helped but money was still tight.

"Great! Terry why don't you grab your stuff and come with me! I'll make sure he gets some dinner Mrs. McGinnis. Dana do you need a lift home?" Athena asked.

"No thanks Ms. Wayne, I have my own car. See you later Terry. Bye Mrs. McGinnis," Dana said as she headed out the door.

Terry grabbed the tablet with his assignments that Dana had brought and headed to his room. He opened his backpack and threw his dirty clothes into the hamper. He grabbed some fresh clothes out of the drawer and stuffed them into the sack. He had no idea what Athena Wayne had planned but he was going to go along with her because he was dying to know more about Bruce and the original Wonder Woman. He'd figure some way to get his homework done, work on the case for Bruce and go on patrol because he always managed somehow. Bruce had let him sleep all afternoon so he wasn't tired at least.

He returned to the living room and heard Athena explain to his mother, "Thanks for understanding Mrs. McGinnis. I just feel better with my father being ill having Terry stay at the Manor this weekend. He is very stubborn about staying in his bedroom upstairs and he refuses to install an elevator. I can definitely use the extra muscle navigating those stairs."

Terry swallowed a laugh at that statement. Athena could lift her Father with her pinky and fly him up the stairs but he was grateful that she was providing a plausible excuse to his mother, as he got sick of lying all the time.

"Please call me Mary and it is not a problem. Your father has been very kind to us," Mary smiled as she shook hands with Athena.

"And you must call me Athena. Terry I'll see you downstairs," she said as she left.

"She is certainly nice woman. I didn't realize Mr. Wayne had a daughter," Mary said.

"I know she has been abroad for a year and I think that they don't always get along but I don't honestly know much more than that as Mr. Wayne is a very private person," Terry replied thinking it was the understatement of the year.

"Yes he was already pretty reclusive when your father and I moved here twenty years ago. Now Ms. Wayne promised you would have time to do your homework and I expect you to do it," she said sternly.

"I will Mom don't worry," Terry said hoping he wasn't lying to her. "I'll be home on Sunday. Love you."

"Love you too sweetie," she said as she kissed his cheek before he left the apartment.

He headed outside and saw Athena in a sleek black hover car and got into the passenger seat. Athena carefully pulled the car into the air and drove with a speed and precision that left Terry torn between terror and admiration. Soon they were landing on the old clock tower building. The building was a bit of an anomaly for Neo-Gotham, which had all new soaring high rises built in mega blocks. This building looked like in belonged in Old Gotham as it had to be at least a hundred years old but it wasn't run down or falling apart like the buildings there. It was fully renovated and Athena's flat was modern with the latest technology and appliances. But why it still existed when almost all the other old buildings in the city had been torn down and replaced was a mystery to Terry.

Terry followed Athena to a door on the roof. Athena opened a box that contained a touchscreen keypad and she started to rapidly enter some codes. A shield formed over her car and then she activated some form of cloaking technology as the vehicle disappeared. She entered another code and the door popped open revealing a staircase that lead into the building. They descended into the building and through another door and into her apartment. Terry had to admit that the place had old-fashioned warmth that the Manor lacked. He could understand why she preferred to live here.

Athena went to the refrigerator and took out a few containers and a couple bottles of water. She placed one on the breakfast bar that faced the kitchen and offered Terry a seat before putting a container in the microwave. Terry seated himself watched as she dished up a chicken, pasta and salad. Terry's stomach rumbled at the delicious smell of the food and he realized he was starving. She put the plate, a napkin and some silverware in front of him and he didn't hesitate to start eating. Terry bit into the chicken and almost sighed at how good it was.

"This is really good," Terry commented as he finished his first bite.

Athena gave him a half smile and said in a wistful tone, "Thank you, I learned from the best. Terry, may I see your school tablet?"

"I guess so. It is in my backpack," he responded as he continued to eat. He wondered what she was doing as she began to type information into it at near super speed.

"You haven't even started your history assignment have you?" she questioned with a raised eyebrow once she finished typing.

"No," he said as color rose in his cheeks. She made him feel worse than his mother and the school principal combined.

"And did you know you have a test in Calculus on Monday?" she continued to interrogate. There was no doubt in Terry's mind that she was Bruce's daughter. Only she was worse as she never raised her voice but she knew just how to push his guilt buttons. She was like a cross between Bruce and his mother, a scary and intimidating combination.

"No," he replied in a soft, shamed voice.

"Really Terry you can't be failing out of school because of Batman," she said as she shook her head.

"Well my grades weren't that great before I became Batman. My dad and I were always fighting about it."

"I can understand why. You are a bright kid with a lot of potential if you apply yourself," Athena said. "Look Terry, I don't mean to be hard on you but if you are going to continue as Batman you can't fail out of school. I would bet my trust fund that your mother would never let you continue as my father's "assistant" if that happens."

"No she would make me quit even if we need the money," Terry agreed.

"Fine," she said as she handed him back his tablet. "I downloaded a few books and wrote up an outline for a paper on the Trojan War. Also I loaded a program that should help you get ready for your test on Monday. I want you to stay here and work on your paper tonight," she stated.

Terry rebelled against her bossiness. "I can't. Bruce and I are working on a case and I have patrol!"

Athena held up her wrists and knocked them together. Terry heard a distinct ping even though he couldn't see any metal and there was a brief flash of light and Athena's appearance changed. She was now wearing a feminine facsimile of his bat suit. She held the mask in her hand and her long raven hair was pulled back into a severe bun.

"Don't worry, I can help my father. Listen Terry I am just trying to help..."

Terry's temper exploded. "Look you are not Bruce and you certainly aren't my mother. You have no right to tell me what to do! I can handle my own life!"

Pain momentarily flashed in Athena's blue-gray eyes before they turned to ice as she raised an eyebrow at him. "You are correct, I have no right to interfere in your life. But if you want to hear another word about Bruce and my mother then I suggest you get cracking on that assignment. You work on it and I will tell you more when I get back. Or I can take you to the Cave and maybe you can get the old man to confide in you."

"You've completely manipulated the situation to get your own way," Terry said dumbfounded by her machinations.

"Like I've said I learned from the best," she said in a voice devoid of emotion. "It's your choice as I have nothing to lose either way."

Terry angrily turned away from her as he realized that only he would lose in this battle. "Fine you win. I'll work on my assignment."

When she said nothing he turned around a saw that he was alone in the room. Athena had just disappeared to Terry's surprise. He had no idea where she had gone but he couldn't hear her anywhere in the apartment. He shook his head at her cocky assumption that he would comply. Then he sighed in resignation as he headed back to the breakfast bar, activated the tablet and started reading as he finished his dinner.

* * *

Athena sighed as she entered her hidden lab. She flicked on her view screen and watched as Terry sat at the breakfast bar and started working. She half smiled at the look of defeat on his face. She was really just trying to help. Somebody needed to look after him, as she wasn't sure if Bruce was up to it.

_You're not my mother._

Those words seemed to echo in her head. How many times had young Bruce shouted those very words at her before he finally took off. Of course it was true. She wasn't anyone's mother. Once she and Kal started raising Bruce and Cassandra they realized that being parents to them and full time heroes didn't leave anytime for their own children. So they had put it off again until the children were older. They had finally started trying right before Kal was killed.

Athena sighed again and opened her purse. She removed the three toothbrushes she had stolen from the McGinnis's apartment. She had replaced them with new ones figuring Mary would assume Terry had done it and vice versa. She then started analyzing the samples of DNA. A half hour later when she had the results. She put on the mask, flew straight up to the hidden exit in the ceiling, which opened as she approached, and headed toward the Cave.

When she arrived Bruce wasn't there. She started to head toward the stairs when she felt a voice inside her head.

_"You were gone too long this time,"_ the voice accused.

Athena turned to see Ace staring at her.

"I know and I am sorry but I needed to get away for many reasons. The constant fighting with Bruce was just part of it," Athena replied.

_"You know he hates it when you call him Bruce. He needs you Athena even if he acts like a jerk to you. We are lucky the kid showed up,"_ Ace stated.

"The kid seems to have been a positive influence on him. He has brought more life to the old man than I have seen in years. More than I ever could," she said.

_"The kid allows him to be Batman again if only as an observer. That is something you can't do though judging by your clothes it looks like you want to try,"_ he inferred.

"I'm just helping out Terry. He need to do some major assignments for school," she replied.

_"I'm sure that is the only reason. It couldn't be that you missed your father and want to have his attention all to yourself. It's okay to want that you know. And he did miss you,"_ Ace stated.

"Well I also have some information I want to discuss with him while the kid isn't around," she said.

_"You've already discovered that Terry is your brother," _Ace calmly stated.

"You know!" she exclaimed.

_"I know what Bruce knows,"_ he implied cryptically.

Before she could say anything more a voice from the stairs shouted accusingly. "What the hell are you wearing and where is Terry? I just called his mother and she said you were on your way over with him!"

"He is at the Clocktower. He was behind in his homework so he is catching up. I offered to fill in for him tonight and you know that my armor let's me change my appearance. Besides there is something we need to discuss," she said.

"You figured it out already. I must say that I am impressed. It took me two weeks," he said with a smirk.

"What in Tartarus is going on, Dad? How do I have a full brother born three years after Mom had left Man's World?" Athena asked.

"Amanda Waller," he replied.

Athena paused as she tried to remember were she'd heard that name. "The woman who ran Cadmus. But why? As I recall she rather disliked you."

"Well she believed that the world needed a Batman," Bruce said. "With Thomas choosing his own path and you becoming Wonder Woman she decided to create a new son for me. Using nano technology she rewrote Warren McGinnis's reproductive code to match mine. He thought he was getting a flu shot."

"But he is a match as a full sibling to me which means she also rewrote Mary's DNA to match Mom's. Why would she do that?" Athena questioned.

"I guess she figured your mothers DNA would make Terry more durable and possibly immortal. Then the world would have Batman forever."

"She obviously doesn't know how the gods work. They would have to gift Terry with those abilities. Bruce and Cassandra would have been normal like Diana and Deetra if not for Apollo gifting them. Wait, why didn't she expect Bruce to take up the mantle? Actually he seems more like you than Terry," Athena said with a grimace.

"Because their blood is tainted by the Joker," Bruce stated and at Athena's furious glare added, "Her words not mine."

"Yeah you were always so supportive of Thomas's choice for a wife," she said sarcastically which earned her own glare from Bruce.

"So Amanda Waller, out of some twisted need for your legacy to carry on and to play god, made Terry happen? Matt on the other hand is a McGinnis so whatever she did eventually wore off," Athena stated.

"Actually Amanda's plans were more extensive than just creating Terry genetically. She planned for Mary and Warren to be killed when Terry was eight. The nanites kept them from producing another child for eight years. But the assassin she hired couldn't do it and so Mary and Warren lived to produce Matt," Bruce elaborated.

"Ms. Waller is insane and it iss creepy her obsession with Batman," Athena said with a shudder.

"I would have to agree but there is nothing we can do to change things. And crazy as her idea was, Terry is proving to be an excellent Batman," Bruce said as he seated himself at the computer.

"That is exactly what Barbara told Uncle Dick," Athena said. "But, regardless of how good he is, if he fails out of school his mother will make him quit working for you."

Bruce just stared at her for a moment before saying, "I will keep that in mind. Since you are set on being Batman today, let's get to work."

For the next few hours Athena and Bruce searched through all the items that Terry had brought back from the old warehouse. They found nothing of use or value so Athena headed out on patrol.

She took down a Jokerz gang and stopped a robbery at a liquor store but otherwise it was a quiet night. Athena felt strangely content watching over Gotham and working with her father. It had been a long time since they had gotten along so well.

"Everything seems good, Dad," Athena said without realizing she had called him Dad instead of Bruce. Of course she was miles away and didn't see the ghost of a smile that crossed the old man's face. "I think I will head back to the Clocktower if you don't need me anymore."

"No we're done. By the way I forgot to mention this earlier but Bruce is back in town," he said.

Athena paused in surprise. "He is. Have you seen him?"

"Not exactly. Terry had a run in with him in Old Gotham last night. Bruce called me this morning to tell me to keep my protégé off his turf. He has plans to clean up Old Gotham. He is calling himself Fury," Bruce said and Athena could feel the pride in his voice and felt her anger welling up.

"Is he crazy, Old Gotham is a sewer! Nothing and nobody can clean that place up! Of course you just had to encourage him to pursue a reckless mission! I am going to have to talk to him," Athena hissed.

"It will do you no good, just like when he was sixteen. You tried to smother and control him and he took off. He is twenty and an adult and he has to live his life his way," Bruce stated.

"Well you didn't help by getting him legally emancipated and giving him money for his quest. Why didn't you just give him a gun so he could just kill himself," Athena yelled as any pleasantness that they shared earlier that night vanished.

"Wouldn't have worked with his healing factor," Bruce joked. "Athena he can take care of himself and he doesn't and didn't need you mothering or smothering him."

"Shut up old man! I raised him since he was four and held him while he cried for his mother and father! All you did was spoil him and encourage his reckless behavior! So you can take your advice and slag it as Terry would say!" Athena said as she cut off communication with him and headed toward the Clocktower.

* * *

Joker giggled as he finished constructing the control console. He was glad that his other half had a brain for tech stuff. He could now build all kinds of gadgets he couldn't have built before. This one was going to be his masterpiece. He could now hack in and take over any weapon satellite in Earth's defense grid. And he had the perfect place to test it once he recruited one more ally. He laughed gleefully at the idea of destroying paradise.

If only they had found that stupid gun. He had used it years ago to hide the kryptonite bullets he had stolen from the late great Deadshot. He needed those bullets to blackmail Graves Luthor. He needed more cash for his operation and those bullets plus the information he has stored on a disk in his other half's home would link Luthor to the death of Superboy. He was sure Graves' old boy wanted to keep that information quiet and would pay him a nice fee.

Still he laughed as he imagined all his plans and when Freeze came through he would have eternity to torture the Bat and all his offspring.


End file.
